Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Starts Slow, Pulls Away From Purdue in Second Half

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Penn State started slow, but used a big second half to pull away from the Purdue Boilermakers. 

A hangover from last week’s emotional victory against Ohio State was expected in West Lafayette this week. Penn State struggled in the first half and went into the break tied with the Boilermakers. However, a huge second half propelled the Nittany Lions to their fourth-straight win.

Tied 17-17 after two quarters, Penn State came out of the break on fire and pulled away with the 62-24 victory. A 24-point third quarter set the tone for the victory.

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Penn State had its best statistical game under head coach James Franklin and went over 60 points for the first time since the 2008 season. The Nittany Lions racked up 511 yards of total offense against one of the worst defenses in the nation.

Running back Saquon Barkley had a career-high 207 yards on 18 carries. He averaged 11.5 yards a carry and had two rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Trace McSorley didn’t do much with his legs in this one  (five carries for two yards), but he threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns.

Chris Godwin led the team with five receptions and two touchdowns. Barkley was the leading receiver with 70 yards.

Aside from the normal playmakers, several young guys had opportunities to make an impact. Redshirt freshman running Andre Robinson only had two carries for 23 yards, but scored twice. True freshman back Miles Sanders had a 21-yard touchdown reception.

The defense struggled to contain Purdue quarterback David Blough in the first half. The Boilermakers were able to use the passing game to drive down the field at will. However, outside of a 62-yard touchdown pass, the Nittany Lions shut down Purdue in the second half.

Jason Cabinda led the way with nine total tackles. Linebacker Brandon Smith and cornerback Christian Campbell both came up with interceptions.

Turnovers were a big key in the game.

Penn State avoided any mistakes, while Purdue coughed up the ball four times, leading to 28 Penn State points.

With the win, the Nittany Lions are now eligible for a bowl game and are sitting at 6-2 for the season. They head back to the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium next week for a primetime matchup with Iowa.

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